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A2456
ASSEMBLY, No. 2456
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman HEATHER SIMMONS
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Sampson
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes programs to address needs of toddlers and
certain children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning services for children who are deaf or
hard of hearing and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes and Title
18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� a.� The State�s early
intervention program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1993, c.309
(C.26:1A-36.7) shall conduct activities to address the specific needs of
toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing and are receiving early intervention
services, as well as the needs of the toddler�s parent or guardian.� The
activities shall include, but not be limited to:
����� (1) holding two meetings per
year between the toddler, the toddler�s parent or guardian, and a language
team, which meeting shall continue until the toddler�s sign or spoken language
development meets the objective criteria and developmental benchmarks set forth
by the early intervention program; and
����� (2) pairing the toddler�s
parent or guardian with a mentor who shall:
���� (a) be deaf or hard of
hearing;
���� (b) provide guidance to, and
share personal insights with, the toddler�s� parent or guardian about the
mentor�s experiences living day to day as a person who is deaf or hard of
hearing;
���� (c) play an active role in the
toddler�s language development as a member of the toddler�s language team
pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection; and
���� (d) be trained as a SKI-HI
deaf mentor in accordance with the SKI-HI Deaf Mentor Manual training program.
����� b.� Each toddler who is deaf
or hard of hearing and is receiving early intervention services shall be
automatically enrolled to receive the services provided by a language team
pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section, except that the toddler�s
parent or guardian shall have the option to decline such services.
����� c.� The early intervention
program shall allow a toddler who is deaf or hard of hearing and is receiving
early intervention services and the toddler�s parent or guardian to participate
in the activities conducted pursuant to subsection a. of this section until the
toddler turns three years of age, whereupon the child may be eligible to
participate in activities under section 2 of
P.L. ,c. (C. )(pending
before the Legislature as this bill)
���� d.� As used in this section:
���� �Language team� means a team
consisting of a pediatric audiologist, a teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing,
a deaf mentor, and a speech and language pathologist.
���� �Pediatric audiologist� means
a licensed professional trained to test, diagnose, evaluate, and manage the
presence, extent, and reason for hearing loss and other hearing-related issues
in infants and children, and to provide recommendations for interventions or
rehabilitation, including, but not limited to, prescribing hearing aids or
other assistive devices.
���� �Speech and language
pathologist� means a licensed professional trained to identify, assess, and
rehabilitate persons with speech, voice, or language disorders.
���� 2.� a.� The Department of
Education, in consultation with the Department of Health, shall conduct
activities to address the specific needs of children between the ages of three
and five who are deaf or hard of hearing and have previously received early intervention
services pursuant to section of P.L.1993, c.309 (C.26:1A-36.7), as well as the
needs of child�s parent or guardian.� The activities shall include, but not be
limited to:
���� (1) holding two meetings per
year between the child, the child�s parent or guardian, and a language team,
which meeting shall continue until the child�s sign or spoken language
development meets the objective criteria and developmental benchmarks set forth
by the early intervention program; and
���� (2) pairing the child�s parent
or guardian with a mentor who shall:
���� (a) be deaf or hard of
hearing;
���� (b)provide guidance to, and
share personal insights with, the child�s parent or guardian about the mentor�s
experiences living day to day as a person who is deaf or hard of hearing;
���� (c) play an active role in the
child�s language development as a member of the child�s language team pursuant
to paragraph (1) of this subsection; and
���� (d) be trained as a SKI-HI
deaf mentor in accordance with the SKI-HI Deaf Mentor Manual training program.
���� b.� Each child between the
ages of three and five who is deaf or hard of hearing and has previously
received early intervention services, shall be automatically enrolled to
receive the services provided by a language team pursuant to paragraph (1) of
subsection a. of this section, except that the child�s parent or guardian shall
have the option to decline such services.
���� c.� The early intervention
program shall allow a child between the ages of three and five who is deaf or
hard of hearing and has previously received early intervention services, and
the child�s parent or guardian, to participate in the activities conducted
pursuant to subsection a. of this section until the child enters kindergarten
or elementary school, as applicable.
���� d.� As used in this section:
���� �Language team� means a team
consisting of a pediatric audiologist, a teacher of the deaf or hard of
hearing, a deaf mentor, and a speech and language pathologist.
���� �Pediatric audiologist� means
a licensed professional trained to test, diagnose, evaluate, and manage the
presence, extent, and reason for hearing loss and other hearing-related issues
in infants and children, and to provide recommendations for interventions or
rehabilitation, including, but not limited to, prescribing hearing aids or
other assistive devices.
���� �Speech and language
pathologist� means a licensed professional trained to identify, assess, and
rehabilitate persons with speech, voice, or language disorders.
���� 3.��� Pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure
Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the Commissioner of Health and
the Commissioner of Education, shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to
implem
ent the provisions of this act.�
���� 4.� This act shall take effect
on the 90th day following enactment, but the Commissioner of Health and the
Commissioner of Education, may take such anticipatory administrative action in
advance as shall be necessary for implementation of the act.
STATEMENT
���� This bill establishes
requirements to provide certain services to children who are deaf or hard of
hearing, as well as their parents or guardians, to help the child achieve
certain benchmarks in the development of the child�s sign or spoken language.
���� Specifically, the bill
provides for children and their parents or guardians participating in the
program to participate in certain including, but not be limited to: (1) holding
two meetings per year between the child, the child�s parent or guardian, and a
language team until the child�s sign or spoken language development meets the
objective criteria and developmental benchmarks set forth by the early
intervention program; and (2) pairing the child�s parent or guardian with a
mentor.
���� The mentor will be required
to: provide guidance to, and share personal insights with, the parent or
guardian about living day to day as a person who is deaf or hard of hearing; be
a member of the child�s language team and play an active role in the child�s
language development; and be trained as a SKI-HI deaf mentor in accordance with
the SKI-HI Deaf Mentor Manual training program.
���� In the case of a toddler who
is under the age of three, these activities will be provided by through the
Department of Health�s (DOH) early intervention program.� In the case of a
child between the ages of three and five, the activities will be provided through
the Department of Education (DOE).� The DOE program will be limited to children
who previously received services through the early intervention program.� A
child receiving services under the DOE may continue in the program until the
child enters kindergarten or elementary school.� A toddler aging out of the DOH
program may be eligible for the DOE program.
���� A child who is deaf or hard of
hearing and is eligible to receive the services outlined in the bill is to be
automatically enrolled to receive the services provided by a language team
unless the child�s parent or guardian declines the services.
���� As defined in the bill:�
�language team� means a team consisting of a pediatric audiologist, a teacher
of the deaf or hard of hearing, a deaf mentor, and a speech and language
pathologist; �pediatric audiologist� means a licensed professional trained to
test, diagnose, evaluate, and manage the presence, extent, and reason for
hearing loss and other hearing-related issues in infants and children, and to
provide recommendations for interventions or rehabilitation, including, but not
limited to, prescribing hearing aids or other assistive devices; and �speech
and language pathologist� means a licensed professional trained to identify,
assess, and rehabilitate persons with speech, voice, or language disorders.